Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has cut sod for rehabilitation and auxiliary infrastructure of Kumasi inner city roads under the Sino hydro facility.
The 100 kilometres road project has been scheduled to be completed within 30 months.
The project shall upgrade and improve the condition of 145 separate roads through various periodic maintenance activities like minor rehabilitation, upgrading and partial reconstruction.
Beneficiary areas include Suame, Kwadaso, Bantama, Manhyia, Asante Mampong and Effiduase Asokore.
The scope of works for the project include construction of road side drains, provision of culverts, earthworks, provision of base and sub base, double surface dressing, road line marking.
Speed calming devices will also be installed around schools and other locations that shall be identified along the roads.
Roads and Highways minister, Kwasi Ofori-Atta indicated “adequate provision has b een made in the contract for the payment of compensation to properties that shall be affected by the project”.
Vice President, Dr Bawumia is optimistic the 100 kilometres of road will ease the burden of residents in the beneficiary areas.
He touted the NPP’s road infrastructure achievements.
“Completed roads in 4 years of the NPP administration surpassed that of the NDC in 8 years. In Ashanti region alone government has so far asphalted 227 km of roads and additional 400km of asphalt will be completed by 2024. Several other roads have been upgraded. This is a testimony of government’s resolve to give the region its fair share of the national cake and more are in the offing”, Dr Bawumia stated.
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Ghana, H.E. Lu Kun was elated about the strong bilateral ties between Ghana and China.
The 100 km Kumasi city inner roads project would be undertaken by Messrs Sino hydro corporation limited.
Contractors have assured that the project will be executed well and as scheduled.
The former Director of the Law school has this as response to the all suit and other matters
BRIEF RESPONSE TO THE MEDIA DISCUSSION ON PURPORTED NOMINATION TO THE COURT OF APPEAL
My attention has been drawn to various media publications and discussions on my suitability or otherwise to be recommended for an appointment as a Court of Appeal Judge. The basis for these discussions is the alleged unlawful admission of 10 students into the Ghana School of Law. For the records I have not been officially notified or contacted for the said nomination neither has I been served with any court process or copies of multiple petitions circulating on social media.
I was appointed as an Acting Director of the Ghana School of Law in June 2020. Prior to this appointment, I have worked as a Senior Lecturer of the School from 1998. As it is widely known, the General Legal Council introduced Entrance Examinations for entry into the Ghana School of Law from 2012 as part of the reforms for professional legal education. This policy restricted entry into the Ghana School of Law to only LLB holders who passed the entrance examination with a percentage of 50+. My views on these reforms are of public knowledge and, therefore, need not be repeated.
However, it is of public knowledge that I have been against the said restrictions and has always advocated for the opening of more opportunities for LLB holders to achieve their heart desires. Apart from the restrictive nature of admissions to the School, the Council also operated “a zero-concession admission policy” which meant that no concession whatsoever was extended to the wards of key stakeholders, including members of staff and faculty.
As a matter of fact, this policy was used to deny, not only my ward but wards of other lecturers and staff, admission to the School after obtaining scores ranging from 46 to 49 percent. I considered this policy as unfair especially on my part after 23 years of dedicated service to the School. Upon assumption of office, and considering my long-held views on the admission policy, I submitted two policy proposals for consideration namely, Concessionary Admission Policy and Full Fee-Paying Policy.
The Concession Admission Policy was to offer concessionary admissions to wards of faculty, staff and other key stakeholders without compromising the meritorious admission system. The Full Fee-Paying System was meant to stem the tide of Ghanaian students travelling to other jurisdictions, notably the Gambia to pursue a professional legal education.
It was meant to reduce the cut-off point for those desirable and ready to pay the full cost of the education as it is done in all public universities for their sought after programmes. For instance, in the 2021/2022 academic year, 330 Ghanaians applied to enter the Gambia School of Law paying $100 as application fees.
Out of the number, only 55 were admitted paying almost $10000 as School fees for one year. Apart from saving our compatriots the hassle in travelling to other countries, the policy was also to be used to generate revenue for the expansion of infrastructure to admit more students at the Ghana School of Law.
In the 2020/2021 academic year, I managed to convince the General Legal Council to admit all students who scored 50 per cent and above. This culminated in the admission of 1045 students. The admission of this number of students led to the introduction of the innovative triple track system of classes which created the potential to admit almost 1100 students. In addition to the 1045 students, the school offered concessionary admission to 10 students upon request from key stakeholders who have contributed immensely to the school and the nation as a whole. This brought the total admission to 1055, compared to the 450 admitted in 2018/2019 and the 128 students admitted in 2017/18 academic year.
Admittedly, the offer of the 10 concessionary admissions was made without the approval of the General Legal Council but was not done in secrecy. The issue was brought to the attention of the Chairperson of the Examinations Committee. Other key members of the Council were also aware due to discussions on the issue prior to the admissions. These admissions were offered without any ill-motive or for any personal gain but in the interest of the Gnana School of Law.
Indeed, it should be made known that one offer of admission paved the way for the release of an entire building at KNUST which serves as the Kumasi Campus of the Law School. This enabled the School to increase the intake in Kumasi from 50 to over 200 as well as securing places for a library, staff common room, administration facility and a canteen for the students. I must stress all the decisions taken in my one year as Acting Director were in the best interest of the School and students.
In fact, in addition to the admission of the 1055 students, I was also instrumental in securing the approval of the Council to introduce a Transitional Law Course Programme which paved the way for over 274 students to be allowed to re-enter the School to finish their one-year programme. These were students who were caught by the reversal of professional law to two years without any transition period for repeating students.
The New Transitional Law Programme enabled the affected students to continue with the one-year programme for three years after which they would be withdrawn. All these were done to offer opportunities to enter the Ghana School of Law. This has been my avowed aim for the over 23 years that I have served the school.
The General Legal Council on or about July 2021 established a 3-member committee to investigate allegations of admission of non-LLB holders to the Ghana School of Law; admission of students who did not write the entrance examinations; the payment of monies for admission to the Law School and other issues. The Committee found all the reportage as false except the admission of the 10 students on concessionary basis.
The Committee found as a fact that all the 10 students wrote the Entrance Examination but failed to secure 50 per cent or more. The Committee found as a fact that the said admissions were done without the approval of the General Legal Council. The Committee, therefore, concluded that the said admissions were irregular. The General Legal Council accepted the recommendations of the Council that those 10 students admitted without the approval of the Council based on my proposed concessionary admission policy be withdrawn from the School.
The students have been duly withdrawn. Further, the Council has set up a three-member Disciplinary Committee to conduct disciplinary hearings against myself, the Registrar and the Deputy Registrar of the school on charges of insubordination and acting improperly in our office contrary to the provisions of the Public Service Policy and Framework Manual for Public Servants. The Disciplinary Committee is yet to commence its proceedings let alone pronounce any sanctions.
My Public Record
As stated earlier, I have served the Ghana School of Law for over 23 years. My passion and commitment to legal education is known by all, especially thousands of students who have passed through my hands. In all my public life I have stood firmly on principles I believe in to the displeasure of some segments of society, which to me is normal. I must emphasize that in all my dealings in public no one can accuse me of corrupt act or rendering services for unlawful gain.
As the Acting Director of the Ghana School of Law, I performed my task diligently and sought at all times to change the face of professional legal education. As already indicated, the admission of 10 additional students on a concessionary basis to the 1045 students admitted for the 2020/2021 academic year was not done for any personal or pecuniary gain.
There were no underhand dealings, as all the requests for admissions were considered officially. I must stress and without sounding boastful that I performed very creditably in just one year as an Acting Director. Short as the period may seem, I was able to facilitate the following projects at the school:
Massive renovation of the entire Makola campus, the first since the construction of the School in 1958
Construction of 20 additional washrooms to cater for the increasing number of students
Asphalting and paving the entire Makola campus
Construction of a new 100-seater classroom at the Makola campus
Construction of an astroturf for the School’s quadrangle
Renovation of the school’s water fountain
Construction of a modern and imposing Law school entrance
Rehabilitation of the two residential facilities at Taifa
Commencement of the construction of the Law Village project at Legon, a project which was on the drawing board for over 20 years
Securing a 57- Seater bus from the office of the President for the School
Securing a 47-seater bus from the office of the Vice President for the School
Purchase of 57-seater modern Marco Polo bus from the IGF of the School
Purchase of Nissan Urvan Mini bus in collaboration with the SRC of the School
Procurement of Landcruiser Prado for the Office of the Director from the IGF
Procurement of Toyota Fortuner for the office of the Registrar from the IGF
Procurement of Toyota Corrolla for the office of the Deputy Registrar from the IGF
Securing the entire ICIL Building at KNUST rent free for the Kumasi Campus
Introduction of industry specific short courses to generate revenue for the School
Mobilising over Eight Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis {GHȻ800,000}from alumni and corporate sponsors
Admitting over 1000 students and introducing the triple track class system in the 2020/2021 academic year
Introduction of the New Transitional Law Programme for almost 300 repeating students
Ensuring the Call to the Bar of over 650 students in the midst of COVID 19
Conclusion
Much as I do not begrudge anyone who feels offended by my decision to introduce a concessionary admission policy at the Ghana School of Law, leading to the admission of 10 students without approval of the General Legal Council, it is my wish that the issue be considered dispassionately and in consideration of the service I have rendered to the Ghana School of Law. Rather than sounding repetitive, I still hold the view that denying admissions on some concessionary basis to key stakeholders of the school, such as faculty, staff and others who have contributed immensely to the School is unfair.
It is my hope that the General Legal Council and the public at large will ponder over whether it is fair for a ward of a member of faculty or staff to be denied admission to the Ghana School of Law for obtaining between 47% and 49% in an entrance examination. As I have done consistently, save as I admitted the 10 students in addition to the 1045 students for the 2020/2021 academic year without the approval of the General Legal Council, for which I apologized to the Council, same was not done for any personal or pecuniary interest but in the best interest of the School.
A story has been corroborated by several authentic sources about how Zuweira, an Accra-based make up artist who was pronounced dead at the Ridge Hospital yesterday Thursday 24th March resurrected few moments to her burial.
Narrating what happened, her aunt, Rabu said Zuweira was pronounced dead by doctors yesterday and in line with Muslim customs, she was prepared for burial today.
Cemetery authorities and all arrangements were made for her burial and prayers today only for the doctors to call that she “resurrected”.
The doctors said as at the time they pronounced her dead, they were 100% certain there was no life in her and had made sure before informing the family.
Later today however, she came back to life to the shock of nurses who processed her for the Mortuary and doctors who handled her case.
The family had been preparing to get to the Mortuary and retrieve her body for burial before the news came to them.
“God of wonders. My Niece was announced dead yesterday. We were just waiting for the body to be buried. Arrangement has been made at the cemetery. Doctors just called and say she us up. What a wonderful God we serve. Am just in tears. We THANK you God.” Her aunty, Rabi Dan Alpha Sharubutu wrote on Facebook.
The family is urging all and sundry to remember their daughter in prayer.
The fever surrounding the much anticipated West African derby between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Black Stars of Ghana seems to have found its way into Parliament.
Later tonight, the Black Stars are facing Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a bid to secure a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
On Friday, legislators who had assembled to conduct the business of the day were seen clad in the jerseys of the senior national team, Black Stars, ahead of the clash.
First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, was not left out in the decision to ditch the official suits for the sports
Dr Bawumia in a post at his official Facebook page said i wish the Black Stars the best of luck tonight, as they host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off first leg in Kumasi.
The nation is behind you, so remain determined and make us proud.
President Nana Addo served as the Guest Speaker for the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the University of Ghana Medical School on Friday March 25, in Accra.In his speech he appealed to the newly doctors to accept posting at the rural areas.
He said We currently do not have the right number of doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals with the right mix of skills and expertise in our regions, districts and deprived communities especially for the new-created regions and districts.
“The news of doctors refusing postings to these areas is particularly distressing. I encourage all medical practitioners to follow the warning example of your great fore bearers who readily accepted postings in their early years at a time when the national infrastructure was even more harrowing than it is today.
“They did so because they believe the oath they took imposed a duty on them to offer their services especially to the most needy. It was their work that helped build the nationwide health system for which we are all benefiting.”
Good health is fundamental, the president said adding that t is the reason access to quality healthcare is a right that is enshrined in the constitution.
“This constitutional right can best materialized if health institutions like the University of Ghana Medical School , nursing training schools, and other allied health training institutions produce the required numbers of competent personnel who enjoy the confidence of the population.
“it is on this basis I believe that the theme for this celebration ‘ Building 60 years of quality medical education, the role of technology’ is so apt in the times in which we find ourselves.
“Many of us here are aware of the commitments made by the government since January 2017 when I took office in the areas of education, health and technology.
“Over the last five years we have pursued policies in these sectors of national life to improve this quality and help place our nation on the path of sustained development progress and prosperity.”
“This commitment to improving our healthcare system is evident in the Agenda 111 initiative. This project will provide 111 standard 100-bed district hospitals with accommodation for doctors and nurses in districts without district hospitals , six new regional hospitals for each of the six new regions, rehabilitate the Efia Nkwanta hospital in the Western Region , one new regional hospital for the Western Region and three psychiatry hospitals for each of the three zones of the country ie. the North, Middle and the Coastal. The entire package at an estimated cost of US$1.765billion,” he said.
He added ” Such a development will help make Ghana a center of medical excellence and a preferred destination for medical tourism in West Africa. A great deal of the preparatory work for the execution of this ambitious project has been completed. It is my determination that the entire project will be completed before I leave office on 7th January 2025.”
Akufo-Addo rode on the economic condition under Mahama, according to Kumchacha, and persuaded business leaders to, “test me and I will make things better, port taxes are high, you can’t even clear your cargo, believe me and try me because when I become President, everything will be okay.”
Kumchacha we know wouldn’t make a statement without sounding funnyabout it.
He said the President begged Ghanaians to try him, to test him only for him to become a trial and test on Ghanaians like BECE.
Nigerians have dragged musician, Habib Okikiola known in showbiz as Portable for saying his song ‘Zazoo’ deserves a Grammy award.
Portable declared on Twitter that his ‘Zazoo’ which broke him through the music industry in Nigeria must make it into the records of the Grammy.
Reacting to his call, Twitter influencer, Daniel Regha stated that his song is only popular on the streets and does not even have a chance to be nominated in the Headies awards talk more of winning Grammy.
Daniel Regha averred that any award Zazoo might win would be due to industry politics.
“Portable ur song Zazoo Zeh is popular in the streets, but that’s not a hit song & doesn’t deserve a Headies award nomination, talk more of winning a Grammy; A “hit song” is music that can transcend time. If u win an award for Zazoo, It will based on industry politics. No shades”.
The gold watch of Black Stars captain, Andre Dede Ayew, is reportedly missing at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Saddick Adams a renowned sport journalist in an interview on Angel FM sports confirmed it.
He said, “I just received a call from the captain Andre Dede Ayew. His watch is missing at the stadium. He said he has a big reward for anyone who finds the watch. He says he has a lot of information on the golden watch. It is worth thousands of dollars.”
Even though Dede Ayew has been suspended from the two-leg encounter with the Super Eagles of Nigeria, he flew in to support his teammates.
The Finance Minister was call upon to answer some questions concerning his Speech on 24 th March on the the mitigating factors to fix the current economy crises.
During his address, the Finance Minister admitted that the “unyielding stance” of the Minority against the Electronic Transfer Levy, popularly known as e-levy, has gravely affected investor confidence, a situation that has had dire consequences for the economy.
He mentioned it as one of the three factors that the government did not see coming. The other two were the delay in the budget approval and the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Mr Ofori-Atta, therefore, appealed to the Minority to put the country first for government’s expenditure plans to flow.
He insists that the current administration has what it takes to turn things around.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, your Government, the Akufo-Addo administration, is determined to turn things around and has the skills, discipline and compassion to do it.
“But to do so, we must not allow our fortunes to be misdirected by speculators and naysayers – those who only thrive when we allow avoidable uncertainties to hold sway in the affairs of our nation.
“Government will, by this, appeal to Parliament to put the nation first and work in partnership to serve the people of Ghana right.”
But the Minority, in a response to the Finance Minister, took exception to this and insisted that members are rather helping the government in implementing its revenue measures.
“Let it not be repeated that the Minority did not support government in its revenue measures,” Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu emphasised.
“We did. Only in respect of e-levy that we said the procedurally they were wrong [and] they should not rush it through an urgent motion.
